Birdwatching at Gardens by the Bay - Migratory birds

October to March/April are good months for birdwatchers and bird photographers. Some migrants will stop by Singapore for a few weeks in October/November before flying further south to their final destinations for winter. Some will find Singapore good enough for winter and stay here until it is time to return home for summer. Birdwatchers and photographers will be out in full force with their gear, hoping to get a glimpse or photo of these not-so-frequently seen birds.

I love visiting Gardens by the Bay to take bird photographs because it is only about 50 minutes from home by public transport and I get to enjoy breakfast at my favourite stall at Satay by the Bay. Prata and Teh Tarik!

These are some of the birds I have photographed over the last few years and these birds (who knows, they may be the same ones!) still show up every year during the migratory period.

Oriental Reed Warbler.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher.

Common Kingfisher. Common elsewhere but uncommon in Singapore.

Arctic Warbler.

Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Tiger Shrike.

Barn Swallow.

Juvenile Chinese Pond Heron.

Part of the fun is looking for these birds and in my case, photographing them. Most of them are very shy and the best time to see them easily is before the busloads of tourists start arriving at the Gardens from 9am. I usually go to the quieter areas, stop, and wait for the birds to appear. Seeing bird photographers is also a good sign there are interesting birds nearby. I follow some of the local Facebook bird groups. Some birders are so helpful that they even post the locations online.

Birdwatching at Gardens by the Bay

It may surprise many to hear that Gardens by the Bay is quite a good location for birdwatching, considering the fact that it is right in the heart of the city. The many water features at the Gardens are attractive to both local residents and migrants. On a good day, one can see as many as 25 to 30 species of birds during a morning birding session.

My favourite site at the Gardens is the area near or at the Satay by the Bay. There is a lotus pond right next to the food centre and a larger Kingfisher Lake nearby. Standing on the bridge overlooking the Kingfisher Lake can yield local residents such as the White-throated Kingfisher, Ashy Tailorbird, Oriental White-eye, White-breasted Waterhen, Asian Koel and Olive-backed Sunbird. During the migratory months, you may even see the Brown Shrike, Common Kingfisher and Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Birdwatcher in action at the lotus pond.

Kingfisher Lake.

Female Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea).

The Asian Koel is a noisy bird, often calling at the break of dawn. The easily recognisable male territorial call is a very loud KO-EL, with emphasis on the second note and repeated with increasing emphasis. The male bird may be mistaken for a crow, except that it has glossy blue-black plumage, a stout greenish bill and red eyes. An increase in the population of House Crows in Singapore also means more Koels because they are brood parasites. The female Koel lays her eggs in another bird's nest, usually the House Crow's, and lets the other bird bring up her chicks.

Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus).

Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica).
This bird is easy to recognise because it has a habit of fanning out its tail.

Pied Triller (Lalage nigra) .

Male Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis).

Female Olive-backed Sunbird feeding from the Scarlet Spiral Flag flower.

The Olive-backed Sunbird is commonly found in our parks and gardens. One can easily find them at the Gardens, busily drinking nectar from the Scarlet Spiral Flag (Costus woodsonii) flowers. Their call sounds like tswi-tswit-tititititi, or twit-twit-twit-twit. Small bird, loud voice!

White-bellied Sea eagle. Often found soaring above Marina Bay area.

This particular male Laced Woodpecker likes to peck on metallic lampshades.

An elusive resident - Ruddy-breasted Crake.

Another elusive resident - Red-legged Crake.

Some of the birds I have seen at the Satay by the Bay area were:

Javan Myna
Common Myna
Asian Glossy Starling
Pink-necked Pigeon
Rock Pigeon
Olive-backed Sunbird
Brown-throated Sunbird
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
Oriental Magpie Robin
Asian Koel
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Common Tailorbird
Ashy Tailorbird
Common Iora
Red-breasted Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
House Crow
Spotted-necked Dove
Zebra Dove
Greater Coucal
Little Bronze Cuckoo
Plaintive Cuckoo
Little Tern (at the reservoir)
Grey Heron
Great-billed Heron
Yellow Bittern
Pacific Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Waterhen
Red Junglefowl
Pied Triller
Pied Fantail
Large-tailed Nightjar
White-throated Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Stock-billed Kingfisher
Black-naped Oriole
Scaly-breasted Munia
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Sunda Woodpecker
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Brahminy Kite
Changeable Hawk-eagle

Migrants
Common Kingfisher
Tiger Shrike
Brown Shrike
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Arctic Warbler
Oriental Reed-warbler
Black-browed Reed-warbler
Common Sandpiper
Oriental Honey Buzzard

Happy birding!

Gardens by the Bay

Occupying approximately 101 hectares of prime waterfront real estate in the Marina Bay area, Gardens by the Bay is part of Singapore's vision to be a City in a Garden. Bay South Gardens, Bay East and Bay Central make up the entire garden, and the most popular section is Bay South Gardens, where you can see the 2 conspicuous conservatories - Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, and the 18 Supertrees.

Contrary to what glasshouses (greenhouses) are normally used for, which is to keep plants warm, these 2 conservatories are to keep the plants cool.

The cooled conservatories - Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.

Flower Dome

When you enter the Flower Dome, the first thing that comes to mind is the space. It is very, very spacious. At the time of this writing, it is the largest glasshouse in the world. What is most amazing about the design is there are no internal columns supporting the structure!

The dome replicates the cool and dry Mediterranean climate of regions such as western and southern Australia, South Africa, central Chile, California and the Mediterranean Basin. You will see collections of plants from different corners of the world, including a thousand year-old olive tree. Also doing well in this climate are the baobabs and succulents.

Tip: Walk to the end of the Baobab garden where you can see a driftwood sculpture of a wyvern (not a dragon!). You have an aerial view of the entire gardens below.

No internal columns!

The Flower Field display theme changes
every few months.

Flower Field display for Tulipmania.

Cloud Forest

While the Flower Dome replicates the cool and dry Mediterranean climate, this dome replicates the cool and moist mountainous tropical rainforest climate. When you enter the dome, you will be greeted by the world's tallest indoor waterfall.

Cloud forests are found near the Equator and they must be at least 1000m above sea-level. Less than 2.5% of tropical rainforests are cloud forests and they are very rare. Many are relatively unexplored, and scientists are still discovering new species of plants and animals in such forests.

After the waterfall, make your way to the Lost World, which is the top of the 'mountain' inside the dome. As you descend the 'mountain', you can see different kinds of plants planted on the sides as well as views of the outdoor garden and surroundings.

Tip: Try to time your visit to the Cloud Forest at 10am, 12noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm or 8pm. Mist is released at these timings to make the 'mountain' look misty and foggy. If you are very lucky, you may even see a rainbow when the late afternoon sun shines on the waterfall.

World's tallest indoor waterfall.

Cloud Walk, which leads you down the 'mountain'.

Lady's Slipper Orchid.

Supertree Grove and OCBC Skyway

If you do not wish to leave the gardens without taking a picture of the 2 domes together with some of the Supertrees, then you should head over to the OCBC Skyway at the Supertree Grove. You get to walk from one Supertree to another via a walkway 22m above the ground.

Not only do you get an aerial view of the gardens, you get excellent views of the Marina Bay area and central business district.

Supertrees and the OCBC Skyway.

There is an admission fee to the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and OCBC Skyway. If you live in Singapore and will make multiple visits to the gardens, I highly recommend getting the Annual Pass, which is good value for your money.

Tip: The Flower Dome and Cloud Forest are usually closed for maintenance every last Monday and Tuesday of each month. Please check the maintenance schedule at the official web site for details.